Lake Louise snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Alberta, Canada · 5,400ft to 8,652ft

Over the last 10 seasons Lake Louise, Canada has averaged 96in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 58in, 0 powder days and 7 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around October 29 to June 11.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Lake Louise

96 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
58 in
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
6in+ in a day
7
Bluebird days
sun after snow
6
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
208
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Lake Louise, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan11 in43 in0in4.7 h15° / 1°0.00.40.0
Feb13 in48 in0in6.4 h15° / -2°0.11.30.0
Mar16 in51 in0in8.2 h25° / 7°0.01.90.1
Apr12 in51 in0in10.3 h33° / 15°0.00.20.1
May11 in36 in0.8in11.8 h45° / 27°0.01.05.4
Jun8 in9 in2.3in12.4 h52° / 33°0.21.012.8
Jul1 in0 in2.2in13.8 h63° / 41°0.00.012.9
Aug1 in0 in2in12.0 h62° / 40°0.00.211.5
Sep5 in1 in1.4in9.6 h52° / 33°0.00.39.4
Oct16 in7 in0.4in6.9 h34° / 18°0.11.52.7
Nov17 in22 in0in4.6 h21° / 7°0.20.90.3
Dec17 in36 in0in4.0 h12° / 0°0.00.90.0

Averages across the last 10 seasons. Powder, bluebird and rain columns are the average number of such days per month.

Season by season

SeasonSnowfallPeak depthPowder daysBluebird daysSkiable days
2025/26best132 in59 in013211
2024/2574 in46 in04211
2023/2492 in50 in14202
2022/23leanest66 in52 in05197
2021/22113 in69 in24201
2020/21101 in59 in010212
2019/20109 in62 in06213
2018/1977 in54 in04212
2017/18103 in69 in09207
2016/1796 in60 in07212
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 6in of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 4in of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 0.04in of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 12in of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 7,028ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Lake Louise compares

Measured against 40 other resorts across 18 countries, each analysed exactly the same way. The line down the middle of each bar is the median.

Snowfall per season
below average
96 in
Ahead of 38% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
58 in
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well below average
0
Lowest of every resort we compareMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
about average
7
Ahead of 40% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
6
Drier than 95% of resortsMedian 32

Days with 0.04in or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
among the very best we track
208
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Lake Louise

Typical stretch holding 12in or more of settled snow, averaged over the record.

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
October 29
Season ends
June 11
Days of cover
227 days

When to go

These rarely land in the same month, so it is worth deciding which one matters most before you book.

Deepest base
March
51in average depth
Most new snow
November
17in and 0.2 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
1.9 bluebird days, 8.2h sun a day
Wettest month
May
5.4 rain days

Is Lake Louise a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable basevery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Lake Louise stands out for a deep, reliable base, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 7,028ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Lake Louise snow record in detail

How much snow does Lake Louise get?

Lake Louise averages 96in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is below average: more snow than 38% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 111in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2025/26 with 132in, and the leanest was 2022/23 with 66in — a difference of 65in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 132in.

November is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 17in and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Lake Louise?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Lake Louise the snowpack peaks at an average of 58in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 51in through the month and topping out around 56in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Lake Louise get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Lake Louise averages 0 powder days a season. That is well below average, more powder days than fewer than every other resort in the set, where the median is 2 a season.

November has the most, 0.2 on average.

How often does Lake Louise get bluebird days?

Lake Louise averages 7 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is about average, more than 40% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

March is the best month for it, averaging 1.9 bluebird days and 8.2 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Lake Louise?

At mid-mountain Lake Louise sees an average of 6 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 5% of the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way see fewer wet days, against a median of 32.

May is the wettest month of the season, with 5.4 rain days and 0.8in on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Lake Louise, and when does the season end?

Lake Louise typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around October 29 through to June 11, which works out at roughly 227 days of skiable cover in an average year. 208 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is among the very best we track compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

For the deepest base, go in March; for the most new snow, November; for fresh snow with sunshine, March.

Comparisons use 40 resorts across 18 countries, each measured over 5 recent seasons at mid-mountain height. Glaciated locations, where the model never melts the snow out, are excluded. Figures for Lake Louise are taken at 7,028ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Lake Louise month by month

What to expect in each month of the season, from the same ten-year record. Figures are averages for mid-mountain; a good or poor winter can move them a long way.

Lake Louise in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 22in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 17in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 21°F and lows 7°F, with 4.6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical November.

Lake Louise in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 36in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 17in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 12°F and lows 0°F, with 4 hours of sunshine a day.

Lake Louise in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 43in. It brings 11in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 15°F and lows 1°F, with 4.7 hours of sunshine a day.

Lake Louise in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 48in. It brings 13in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 15°F and lows -2°F, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days.

Lake Louise in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Lake Louise is at its deepest, averaging 51in through the month and peaking around 56in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 16in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 25°F and lows 7°F, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Lake Louise.

Lake Louise in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 51in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 12in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 33°F and lows 15°F, with 10.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Lake Louise in May

Late season

In May the base averages 36in, past its March peak of 51in and thinning. It brings 11in of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 45°F and lows 27°F, with 11.8 hours of sunshine a day and 1 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 5.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Lake Louise compares with nearby resorts

Of Lake Louise and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Lake Louise ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 96in a season. Revelstoke gets more; Banff Sunshine, Kicking Horse and Panorama get less.

Panorama has the most powder days (1 a season, against 0 here); Revelstoke builds the deepest base (81in against 58in); and Revelstoke gets the most bluebird days (15 a season).

Each resort is measured at its own mid-mountain height, so part of any difference is altitude: a resort modelled 1,640ft higher will usually hold more snow. The table shows the height each figure comes from.

Ten-year snow averages for Lake Louise and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Lake Louise—7,028ft96in58in07
Banff Sunshine30 mi8,136ft93in50in07
Kicking Horse39 mi5,951ft94in57in07
Panorama67 mi5,866ft84in46in15
Revelstoke93 mi4,495ft152in81in115

Distances are straight-line. Season averages, November to May, over the last ten winters.

More on Lake Louise

Ski resorts near Lake Louise

Distances are straight-line, not by road.